The present invention relates to applying a cosmetic or a care product, in particular on the lips, the eyelids, or the remainder of the face.
French patent No. FR-B-2 727 608 describes an endpiece having an array of points or tips, and a substance outlet duct at the center of the applicator surface.
The end of the duct lies at substantially the same level as the free ends of adjacent points.
The substance which is to be found between the points can dry out and generate dirt.
Above-cited French patent No. FR-B-2 727 608 also describes endpieces each comprising a plurality of outlet orifices opening in register with the openings in a grid.
The substance is dispensed in substantially uniform manner over the entire applicator area via the above-mentioned orifices.
Patent No. FR-B-2 727 608 also describes an endpiece having an annular groove with a multitude of orifices spaced apart regularly in the bottom of the groove so that the grooves becomes uniformly filled with the substance.
With those known endpieces, there exists the risk of excess substance being brought to the applicator surface and of it being expelled from said surface on coming into contact with the surface to be treated.
The invention seeks to remedy the above-mentioned drawbacks in full or in part.
The invention achieves this by means of a device for packaging and applying a cosmetic or a care product, the device comprising a reservoir containing said substance and an applicator endpiece for dispensing and applying the substance contained in the reservoir, said endpiece defining an applicator surface that is fed with substance via at least one orifice, wherein said orifice opens out into a cavity or groove at a distance from said applicator surface, said groove or cavity being arranged in such a manner that the applicator surface is fed with substance in privileged manner via a first fraction of said groove or cavity, said groove or cavity having a second fraction communicating with the first and suitable for collecting all or part of the substance present in excess on the applicator surface.
By means of the invention, the substance can be bought to the applicator surface, at least during first use, without the entire groove or cavity into which the orifice opens out becoming filled with substance.
Thus, any excess substance on the applicator surface can be received in the region of the groove or cavity that is not filled with substance and can avoid being expelled from the endpiece by the surface to be treated.
Furthermore, because the orifice opens out into a groove or cavity at a distance from the applicator surface, it is easier to flock the applicator surface, at least in part, without danger of the bristles or adhesive used for flocking purposes blocking the orifice.
The invention thus makes it possible to perform flocking without it being necessary to re-pierce the orifice in order to repair it and without it being necessary to use a removable insert that is inserted in the orifice during the flocking operation.
In a particular embodiment, the applicator surface includes at least one chamfered portion.
Thus, the endpiece can be of a shape analogous to that of a lipstick.
In a particular embodiment, the groove or cavity is flocked at its opening that opens out into the applicator surface.
This makes applicator more comfortable.
Advantageously, the entire applicator surface is flocked.
The orifice can be eccentric in the endpiece.
When the applicator surface has at least one chamfered portion, the orifice can be situated in the bottom part of said chamfered portion.
In order to bring the substance in privileged manner onto the applicator surface, said groove or cavity can present paths between said orifice and the applicator surface that impart different amounts of head loss on the substance so that the substance follows a privileged path.
Said groove or cavity can be of varying height.
Only one orifice need open out into the groove or cavity.
In a preferred embodiment, the endpiece comprises a first part and a second part fitted to the first, said second part defining at least a fraction of the applicator surface.
The second part can be fixed inside a housing defined by the first part, said housing being of a shape complementary to that of the second part.
The groove or cavity can be made at least in part by one or more openings in the second part.
The first and second portions of the groove or cavity can communicate via a space defined between the first and second parts.
Such a space can allow substance to flow back under the second part, so that there is less risk of the substance drying out or deteriorating on the endpiece.
Furthermore, any substance contained in the above-mentioned second portion of the groove or cavity, while the substance is flowing back, will tend to be sucked in by the substance flowing in or towards the first portion of the groove or cavity, such that the second portion of the groove or cavity is emptied at least in part and, where appropriate, can receive new substance that might be present in excess on the applicator surface.
In addition, the use of two parts that are assembled together makes it easier to implement flocking since one of said parts can be flocked separately and more easily, possibly with reduced risk of the coating of flocking blocking one or more orifices used for feeding the substance.
Preferably, one of the two parts has a coating of flocking which extends to the edge of said part, said edge being in contact with a non-flocked edge of the other part.
Such an implementation makes it possible to obtain a coating of flocking whose outline is sharp, and that facilitates obtaining neat makeup.
The first part can have an outer annular skirt that is not flocked.
The two parts can be fixed one inside the other by snap-fastening, with the two parts preferably including sealing means so as to obtain a connection that is leakproof.
In a variant, the two parts can be fixed to each other by heat-sealing, adhesive, or hot upsetting.
In a preferred embodiment, the second part includes a grid or is constituted by a grid.
The second part advantageously includes an annular groove or cavity extending around a closed curve, possibly a curve that is other than circular.
The groove or cavity preferably does not present any narrowing in its section towards its outside opening, thus enabling the surface of the skin or the lips to penetrate more deeply therein so as to extract any substance, where appropriate.
In a particular embodiment, the second part is of varying height, so as to define a chamfered applicator surface and create a preferred path for the substance.
The second part can include an element that co-operates with the first part so as to form a check valve suitable for opening under drive from the pressure of the substance.
This valve serves to protect substance upstream from the endpiece from dirtying and from oxidation.
The first part can include a jet-deflector central region situated in or facing a passage for feeding the substance. In a variant, the second part can include a jet-deflector region situated facing a passage for feeding the substance.
The applicator surface of the endpiece can include a chamfered surface and a side surface that extends around the chamfered surface, said chamfered and side surfaces both being flocked. The applicator surface can be free of any portions in relief such as points.
Advantageously, the orifice(s) through which the fluid feed passage open out into the bottom of said groove(s) or cavity(ies) is/are set back from the applicator surface by a distance of at least 1 millimeter (mm).
The groove(s) or cavity(ies) can be relatively wide, for example two opposite edges can be spaced apart by more than 1 mm, with the distance between said edges being preferably selected in such a manner that the surface of the lips or the skin can reach the substance contained therein.
The second part can be made out of material that is flexible or rigid.
The second part can be made out of a material that is different from that used for making the first part. To make the first and/or the second parts, it is possible to use one or more plastics material(s) selected from the following list: ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer, nitrile rubber, latex, thermoplastic elastomer of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), xe2x80x9cPolynorbordenxe2x80x9d, or a relatively rigid thermoplastic material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), PS, PET, polycarbonate (PC), etc.
In a particular embodiment, the coating of flocking extends to an edge that presents undulations.
In a particular embodiment, the second part includes a central region and a peripheral region that are interconnected by bridges of material.
These bridges of material need not be flocked, particularly if they are set back significantly from the applicator surface.
In a particular embodiment, the second part is off-centered relative to the first part, thus making it possible, where appropriate, to make an endpiece that is more ergonomic.
The reservoir can be formed by a body formed integrally with one of the parts of the endpiece.
The device can include a piston for exerting pressure on the substance contained in the reservoir for the purpose of dispensing it.
The reservoir can also include a compressible wall enabling the substance to be dispensed by exerting pressure thereon, e.g. by the user exerting pressure.
The device can also include a pump.
The reservoir can be removable, in which case it can constitute a refill.
When the device includes a pump, the reservoir is advantageously movable relative to the remainder of the device so as to actuate the pump in order to dispense a quantity of the substance.
Advantageously, the device includes a closure cap containing at least one internal shutter member suitable for covering the substance outlet orifice(s) when it is in place on the endpiece.
The invention also provides a method of manufacturing an endpiece as defined above, wherein the endpiece is made with a coating of flocking without piercing the orifice after the flocking has been performed and without inserting an insert in said orifice during flocking.
This ensures that manufacturing the endpiece is relatively simple.
Furthermore, by avoiding any need to pierce the endpiece after flocking has been performed, it is ensured that surface roughnesses or starters for peeling off the flocking coating are not formed, particularly when the endpiece has a flocked portion that is flexible, for example because it is made of elastomer.